Cooling system



Aug. E4, i945.

N. HERZMARK 'Filed Jan. 31, 1944 In? Uff/fam lNvENToR /V/cauf /YfPz/z//f/ ATTORNEY atented Aug. 14, v1945 UNITED. STATE COOLING SYSTEM Nicolas Herzmark, New York, N. Y.- Application January 31, 1944, Serial No. 520,525 s claims. (el. 23o- 172) This invention relates generally to compressors, pumps and the like, and especially to the cooling of control valves therefor which are exposed to high temperature discharges.

The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 449,037, led June 29, 1942, for Fluid cooling system and method now abandoned.

The invention provides a, gas compressor having at least one piston and cylinder, a. discharge port for the discharge of hot compressedgas from the cylinder, aspace contiguous withfand on the discharge side of the port, a Valve seat for the discharge port, a valve member in the space which has a oating motion in moving into and out of contact with the valve seat to close and open the discharge port. The compressor of the invention includes means to introduce a liquid from the cylinder into theA discharge port under the operation of the piston to interpose a -body of the liquid between the valve member and the compressed hot :gasin the cylinder. in such quantity as to fill the dead spaces in the cylinder.

In a further embodiment of the invention,.the discharge port comprises a relatively large passage and a plurality of smaller passages, means forvintroducing a liquid, such as lubricating oil,

into the passages, the smallerpassages servingv to retain the liquid which contacts the valve member. In a more complete form of the invention, a duct is connected to the space at the discharge side of the kport for introducing a cooling liquid into contact with thedischarge surface of the Valve member, and means are provided for preventing the cooling liquid from flow- Preferably the liquid is alsor provided ing through the duct when the valve is open for the discharge of gas.

The foregoing and other objects and advan-lr of the low pressure stage I 4 of the compressor.

Held in the casing I0 by head I3 is a Valve structure I-4', controlling the discharges of the loW pressurestage. u Y

The cylinder of the low pressure stage is connected lthrough passages I4, between the head and valve structure I4', and passage I2, between n they closure II and head I3,r with conduits I5 leading tothe high pressure stage I6, which latter includes a valve structure I6', composed of an annular intake valve body I'l, associated with an upper 'member I8 in Which'is provided a high pressure discharge port I9. This port comprises a central discharge opening 20 and peripherally varranged capillary discharge passages 2I. vOpening 20 and passages 2I are controlled by disc. valve `22, the upper surface of which is exposed to the high temperature, high pressure discharges from the high pressure stage of the compressor. Opposite discharge port I 9 is disposed a supply conduit 23 through which a relatively cool cooling medium is directed against valve element 22.` The top of conduit 23 serves as a counterseat for vthe valve element 22, which latter closesthe end of the conduit when it opens discharge port I9. Valve element 22, shown in detailin Fig. 2, comprises a relatively thin disc, preferably, made of ahigh heat-resisting, tough, hard and resilient material, having the physical property of permanency, in that it resists distortion and will retain its originally imparted shape, such as its perfect atness. u

Surrounding conduit 23 is a relatively -spacious cavity 24, which cavity includes Well 25 and (a passage 26 formed by an outer dschargeconduit 21 about lsupply conduit 23, .and through which discharge conduit the cooling medium is passed by means of tubing 28 into separator tank 29, the latter being adapted to hold a substantial vquantity .of .the cooling medium 30, and being spacious enough for accommodating a still larger amount of compressed iluid.` Separator 29 is preferably located above the compressor so .that the cooling mediumvis kept under` static pres- 'It is forced through discharge pipe 3| and supply conduit 23 into cavity 24 and against disc valve element 22. The separator vservestvvo purposes, it not only separates the `compressed fluid :from the coolingmedium, but also provides cooling `for the latter. ASeparator 29 is connected by means of conduit 32 to air reservoir 33.

`Fromjpipe 3|, which ,conveys the cooled cooling mediumto cavity 24, there branches 01T at 3B another conduit 35 which leads to a supply terminus 36, indicated in broken lines, ofthe compressor by means of which a portion of the cooling medium'is conveyed to the interior of the compres- Athe medium is passed by sor and where it is held in a well 31. From this well the cooling medium is splashed by means of plungers 38, connected with the compressor pistons, onto the aprons 39 of the low pressure stage piston, from which aprons the cooling medium is transferred rst to low-stage intake passages 40 and from there to the head 4I of the low stage piston. The accumulated cooling medium on top of piston head 4I is transferred through the controlled passages of valve structure I4 and the passages I4" and I2 to conduits I5, through which way of high pressure intake valve Il into the cylinder 42 of the high pressure stage, in the manner indicated by arrows. The cooling medium accumulates at the bottom of cylinder 42 and fills the port passages 20 and 2l. Since passages 2l are capillaries, they have the tendency of always retainingI a small quantity of the cooling medium, even though the major portion of the medium becomes discharged through passage 20 when the high pressure piston 43 descends. Thus there is always a small amount of the medium left to provide a sealing film over the valve element the moment it closes the discharge port.

From the above description it will be evident that during each operating cycle a small amount of cooling medium is supplied by splashers 38 to aprons 39 onto low pressure piston head 4I and through the passages above the piston and conduits I to high pressure cylinder 42, and that during each downward stroke the major portion of the cooling medium becomes discharged through passage 20, while a minute portion of the medium is retained in passages 2|. The discharged part of the medium is forced through the port against the upper surface of valve element 22, as the latter yields to the force of the compressed fluid. In this manner a relatively heavy layer of cooling medium is first caused to cover the upper surface of the valve element. This layer is rapidly spread into a thin-film as the downward stroke of piston 43 progresses.

As valve element 22 opens port I9, it comes into abutting Contact with and closes the upper end of conduit 23. This conduit, as well as cavity 24, being constantly lled with a cooling medium, the latter is constantly maintained in intimate contact with valve element 22, and renders the latter so-to-speak floating In this manner the entire body of valve 22 is bathed in the cooling medium, which latter rapidly absorbs the heat to which the valve is exposed. In consequence of this heat absorption from the valve, the latter remains relatively cool and its seating surfaces vare maintained clean and effective. Thus continuous, perfect sealing contacts are produced between the valve and its seat-when the valve closes discharge port I9. Such seals moreover are improved by the lm of cooling `medium forming on the valve surface when it comes in contact with capillaries 2I.

The cooling eiect produced is so effective that what is known as.Diesling or cooking on the surfaces of the valve is positively prevented. Extensive tests for periods ranging from one hour to several days of continuous operation, followed by thorough inspections, proved the effectiveness of the cooling of valve element 22, and the fact that not only the seating surfaces of the valve element remain in perfect working condition, but that also the valve seats of the valve structure remain clean.

The foregoing description of the system of cooling the valve element controlling the high temperature, high pressure discharges in a two stage compressor is intended to serve primarily for explaining the principle of cooling of a valve element by supplying, during each operating cycle, a small amount of a cooling medium to that surface of the valve element which is directly exposed to the influence of high pressure, high temperature discharges, while a relatively large body of ycirculating cooling medium under pressure is maintained in constant and intimate contact with all other surfaces of the valve element which are not directly exposed to such discharges, whereby its body is virtually bathed in an ever changing body of such cooling medium, which latter rapidly absorbs and transfers the heat to which the valve is subjected.

'It is one of the prerequisites of this invention that the relatively large body of the cooling medium is in constant motion or circulation and under pressure so that portion after portion of the cooling medium which became heated in asborbing the heat from the valve element is being constantly replaced by cooler portions of the medium.

Obviously, the principle of my invention of cooling or preventing the overheating of control valves in compressors, pumps and the like, consisting of supplying, during each operating cycle, relatively small amounts of a cooling medium to the directly exposed part of such valves, and the maintenance of relatively large moving bodies of such cooling medium under pressure against the rest of valve bodies, may be solved in any number of ways, depending upon the specific structural arrangement of the device involved. It is t0 be understood, therefore, that in employing the aforesaid principle of my invention I shall not be limited to structural details illustrated and described, and that any suitable equivalent effecting the above stated results shall be considered within the broad scope of my inventionI as expressed in the annexed claims.

I claim:

l. In a gas compressor having a piston and a cylinder for compressing the gas, the improvement which comprises a discharge-port means for the discharge from the cylinder of compressed and hot gas, a space contiguous with and on the discharge side of the port means, a valve seat for the port means, a lightweight flat valve member in the space which is characterized by a floating motion in moving into and out of engagement with the valve seat lto rclose and open the port means, and means to introduce oil from the cylinder into the port means under the operation of the piston to interpose a body of oil between the valve member and the compressed hot gas.

2. In a gas compressor having a piston and a cylinder for compressing the gas, the improvement which comprises a discharge port for the cylinder comprising a relatively large passage and a plurality of smaller passages, a valve seat for the discharge port, a space contiguous with the discharge port and on the discharge si'de thereof into which the gas from the discharge port is passed, a floating yvalve member in the space arranged to contact the Seat to close the discharge port, means for introducing liquid from the cylinder into the passages, the smaller passages serving to retain the liquid which contacts the valve member, and means for removing the gas from the space.

3. In a valve structure for a gas compressor having a piston and a cylinder for compressing the gas,'the improvement which comprises a discharge port for the cylinder comprising a relatively large passage and a plurality of smaller passages, a valve seat for the discharge port, a space contiguous with the discharge port and on the discharge side thereof into which the gas from the discharge port is passed, a thin flat valve member in the space which is moved by fluid pressure into and out of contact with the seat to close and open the discharge port, means for introducing liquid from the cylinder into the passages, the small passages serving to retain the liquid which protects one side of the valve member from direct contact with the hot gas, means for removing the gas from the space, and means for introducing a cooling liquid into the space and into contact with the opposite side of the valve member.

4. In a gas compressor having a piston and a cylinder for compressing the gas, the improvement which comprises a discharge port for the cylinder comprising a relatively large passage and a plurality of smaller passages, a valve `seat for the discharge port, a space contiguous with the discharge port and on the discharge side thereof into which the gas from the discharge port is passed,'a thin flat valve member in the space which is moved by fluid pressure into and out of contact With the seat to close and open the discharge port, means for introducing liquid from the cylinder into the passages, the small passages serving to retain the liquid which protects one side of the valve member from direct contact with the hot gas, means for removing the gas from the space, a duct entering the space for the passage of a cooling liquid therein, a valve seat -for the duct spaced from the discharge port seat, the valve member being arranged to engage the discharge port seat to close the discharge port at which time the duct is open for the flow of liquid into contact with the valve member and to engage the seat for the duct to stop the flow of liquid at which time the discharge port is open.

5. In a gas compressor having a piston and a cylinder for compressing the gas, the improvement which comprises an inlet valve means for introducing gas and lubricating oil into the cylinder, discharge-port means for the discharge from the cylinder Iof compressed and hot gas, a thin at valve member, a valve seat engaged by the valve member to close the discharge pont, means for introducing the lubricating oil from .the cylinder into the discharge-port means to apply a nlm of the lubricating oil on the side of :the valve member which engages said valve seat, space means embracing the valve member which is contiguous with the discharge-pont means when the valve member is in a position opening the discharge-port means, a conduit for the introduction of cooling oil into |the space means, seating means for the conduit engaged by the valve member when the discharge-port means is open whereby the cooling oil is prevented from flowing through the conduit when the gas is being discharged through .the discharge-port means, and a second conduit entering the space means through which theconipressed gas and the cooling oil are removed from the compressor.

6. In a compressor having a cylinder and a piston, the improvement which comprises means for introducing a .compressed gas and a liquid cooling medium into ,the cylinder, a dischargeport means for the cylinder, and a valve member for opening and closing :the discharge-port means, Ithe liquid medium being forced by the piston into dead spaces in the cylinder and through the discharge-pont means into contact with the valve member, whereby the valve member is protected by the liquid medium from the hot compressed gas.

'7. In a compressor having a cylinder and a piston, the improvement which comprises means for introducing a compressed gas and a' liquid cooling medium into the cylinder, a dischargeport means for the cylinder having a plurality of openings, a valve seat for the discharge-pont means, a thin lightweight valve member, a space on the discharge side of and contiguous with the discharge-port means in which the valve member operates in floating suspension in opening and closing the discharge-port means, the liquid medium being forced by the piston into the openings and into contact with the valve member when it is in engagement with the valve seat, the liquid medium in the openings being interposed between the valve member and .the compressed gas thereby preventing overheating of the valve member, and means for removing the compressed gas and liquid medium from the space.

'8. In a compressor having a cylinder and a piston, the improvement which comprises means for introducing a compressed Igas and a liquid cooling medium into the cylinder, a dischargeport means for the cylinder, 'a duct for a cooling medium, a valve seat for the discharge-pont means, a: valve seat for the duct spaced from the valve seat for the discharge-port means, a thin nat valve member arranged to operate in floarting suspension in a space and between the valve seats and to close the discharge-pont means during the suction stroke of the piston and to close the duct during the compression stroke of the piston, said liquid cooling medium being forced by the piston into the discharge-pont means Where it is interposed between the hot gas and one side of the valve member during the compression stroke ofthe piston, and means for passing a cooling medium through the duct and into the space into contact with the opposite side of the valve member when the valve member is in contact Wirth the seat for the discharge-port means.

NICOLAS HERZMARK. 

